PEDAGIGICAL RESOURCES

Dietrich Bonhoeffer s life spanned four decades of the early twentieth century and was shaped within the crucible of two European wars and an economic depression. Born in 1906 and raised in an upper middle class German family, he was educated to be a pastor,…

For the first time, a representative collection of all Bonhoeffer's theological works is available in a single volume, edited by Bonhoeffer scholars Clifford J. Green and Michael P. DeJonge. The Bonhoeffer Reader follows on the heels of the newly completed…

Using the acclaimed Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works English translation and adapted to a more accessible format, these new editions of Discipleship, Ethics, Letters and Papers from Prison, and Life Together feature the latest translations of Bonhoeffer’s works,…

Sigurdshof, Bonhoeffer, and Incarnational Education During the harsh winter of 1939-40 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Eberhard Bethge, and eight candidates for ministry in the Confessing Church lived and studied together during the tenth and final session of…

Herman, R. (2016). Letter from the Editor-in-Chief: 2015-2016 Index. The Journal of Effective Teaching, 16(3), 1-4. PDF
The contents for the 2015-2016 are provided with a summary of the journal statistics.

McGuire, B. F. (2016). Integrating the Intangibles into Asynchronous Online Instruction: Strategies for Improving Interaction and Social Presence. The Journal of Effective Teaching, 16(3), 62-75.
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This paper considers how instructors of asynchronous online courses in the Humanities might integrate intangibles associated with face-to-face instruction into their online environments. It presents a case study of asynchronous online instruction in a philosophy and religion department at a midsize public university in the southeastern United States. Based on interviews with instructors and observations of course shells, it presents five strategies for improving interaction and social presence in asynchronous online environments: establishing an online community that is comfortable - yet structured, humanizing the course whenever possible, making feedback a priority, establishing clear expectations, then monitoring discussions, and making the course relevant to learners.
Keywords: Online instruction, asynchronous, interaction, social presence.

Zhou, J., & Guo, W. (2016). Imitation In Undergraduate Teaching and Learning. The Journal of Effective Teaching, 16(3), 5-27.
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Research in developmental psychology and neuroscience has demonstrated the critical role of imitation in human learning. Self-report questionnaires collected from 456 undergraduate students in two U.S. institutions and one Chinese institution demonstrated that undergraduate students from both U.S. and Chinese cultures used various imitations in learning, and most undergraduate students perceived those imitations to have positive effects on their learning. Gender, grade-level, disciplinary, and especially, cultural differences of undergraduate students’ uses of imitation and their perceptions of the usefulness of those imitations varied in ways that suggest the significance of broad norms using imitation in teaching and learning in higher education. This study contributed to a better understanding of the significance of imitation in undergraduate student learning across cultures, provided implications for teachers and students in using imitation as an effective teaching and learning tool, and offered important avenues for future research on the topic.
Keywords: Imitation, undergraduate student, teaching, learning, international education.

Grant, N. S., & Bolin, L. B. (2016). Digital Storytelling: A Method for Engaging Students and Increasing Cultural Competency. The Journal of Effective Teaching, 16(3), 44-61.
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Digital storytelling is explored as a method of engaging students in the development of media literacy and cultural competency. This paper describes the perceptions and experiences of 96 undergraduate students at a large Midwestern university, after completing a digital storytelling project in a semester-long diversity course. Digital storytelling was introduced in the course as a pedagogy for engaging students with technology to develop cultural competency. Data were collected from an end of semester survey. Results found that the use of digital storytelling enhanced the learning environment through greater student engagement around technology and diversity issues. By bridging course content and pedagogy around diversity and cultural competency, students were able to gain competency, and experience the use of technology in academic/workplace settings, and create awareness/discourse around social issues.
Keywords: Digital storytelling, student engagement, pedagogy, cultural competency, technology.